Mildred Pierce

2011 - 2011

Part 1

27th March 2011

Episode 1

After a fight with her husband, Mildred Pierce finds herself alone and caring for her two young daughters. She hasn't worked outside of the home for several years but is excellent at making pastries and sells cakes and pies to friends and neighbors. She would like to work as a sales clerk or a receptionist but those jobs are hard to come by. She has an interview with a Mrs. Forrester about becoming her housekeeper but it's clear that her pride will not let her take such a low position. She finally realizes - urged on by her friend and neighbor Lucy Gessler - that she'll never get the type of job that she wants and settles for a job as a waitress in a hash house. She begs Lucy never to tell her daughters, especially the elder Veda, of the type of work she does.

Part 2

27th March 2011

Episode 2

Mildred brings a sample of her pies into the diner and they're a big hit with the customers. Soon she gets an order for 35 pies a week and the orders start to pile up from other restaurants as well. Veda discovers her waitress uniforms and Mildred is forced to admit what she does for a living. The selfish Veda thinks it's all so degrading. Mildred tells her she plans on opening a restaurant of her own and eventually asks Wally to develop an estimate of what it would cost to set herself up, but he has another idea for her. With a divorce from husband Bert she's able to buy and convert a house into a restaurant. On her last day at the diner, she leaves early to spend time at the beach with one of the customers, Monty Beragon. She returns home the next day to learn that her youngest daughter is seriously ill in hospital.

Part 3

Episode 3

After her youngest daughter's funeral, Mildred concentrates on opening her new restaurant. Opening night is a smashing success and even Veda seems to approve. It's all a little too busy for a first night but friends come to the rescue. When Monty Beragon shows up, she learns that he is quite a well-known personality. Veda is quite taken with him. Monty recommends a new music teacher for Veda and Mildred decides to start saving to buy her a proper piano. With the repeal of prohibition, neighbor Lucy suggests that Mildred opens a bar in the restaurant. Vera, not happy with the wristwatch her mother gave her for Christmas, rebels. She blames Monty for turning Veda against her.

Part 4

10th April 2011

Episode 4

As the years have gone by, Mildred has become quite a successful businesswoman. It's now 1937 and she and Lucy, now a partner, is looking to open her third restaurant on Laguna Beach after having opened her second place in Beverly Hills. Veda has grown into an attractive 18 year-old but is no less selfish as a young adult. She's taken to partying and staying out until all hours but refuses to follow her mother's advice. She's now thinking that she wants to be an actress, which Mildred encourages. She is soon pregnant but the child's father refuses to marry her leaving Mildred in the dark until she learns that something is going on from the boy's mother. Veda however wants something other than marriage from the boy and his family. Mildred throws her out but after several months with no word from her, learns that Veda has become a successful singer.

Part 5

10th April 2011

Episode 5

Mildred is quite proud of Veda's accomplishments as a singer but finds that her daughter refuses to take her phone calls or respond to any of her letters. She and Monty Beragon spend some time together and she decides to buy his old family mansion. They also decide to marry and is thrilled when Monty arranges for Veda to come to the reception and sing for them. Success has only inflated Veda's ego however. She has many offers whether it be to endorse products or sing in New York City. Mildred however suffers a serious business setback when the restaurant in Laguna Beach starts to lose money. She's also had to increase her personal expenses to cover her expenses. She learns that Wally Burgan and Ida are quite prepared to push her aside. Mildred has been spending her money on Veda and her ex-husband Bert suggests that Veda will just have to contribute more. Her world comes crashing down when she returns home unexpectedly.

Top Cast

Kate Winslet•Guy Pearce•Evan Rachel Wood

Mildred Pierce depicts an overprotective, self-sacrificing mother during the Great Depression who finds herself separated from her husband, opening a restaurant of her own and falling in love with a man, all the while trying to earn her spoiled, narcissistic daughter's love and respect.

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Full Cast

Kate Winslet Image

Kate Winslet

Mildred Pierce

Guy Pearce Image

Guy Pearce

Monte Beragon

Evan Rachel Wood Image

Evan Rachel Wood

Veda Pierce

Brían F. O'Byrne Image

Brían F. O'Byrne

Bert Pierce

Melissa Leo Image

Melissa Leo

Lucy Gessler

James LeGros Image

James LeGros

Wally Burgan

Mare Winningham Image

Mare Winningham

Ida Corwin

Marin Ireland Image

Marin Ireland

Letty

Murphy Guyer Image

Murphy Guyer

Mr. Pierce

Full Crew

Pamela Koffler Image

Pamela Koffler

Executive Producer

John Wells Image

John Wells

Executive Producer

Todd Haynes Image

Todd Haynes

Executive Producer

Christine Vachon Image

Christine Vachon

Executive Producer

A. Josh Reinhardt

Sound Mixer

Drew Kunin

Sound Mixer

Mark Friedberg Image

Mark Friedberg

Production Design

Peter Rogness

Art Direction

Ellen Christiansen

Set Decoration

Kendall McCarthy

Associate Producer

Edward Lachman Image

Edward Lachman

Director of Photography

Laura Rosenthal

Casting

Ann Roth Image

Ann Roth

Costume Design

Ilene Landress

Co-Executive Producer

Harvey Waldman

Line Producer

Carter Burwell Image

Carter Burwell

Original Music Composer

Affonso Gonçalves Image

Affonso Gonçalves

Editor

Craig Haagensen Image

Craig Haagensen

Camera Operator

Camilla Toniolo

Editor

Randall Poster

Music Supervisor

Michelle Matland

Assistant Costume Designer

Kelly Reichardt Image

Kelly Reichardt

Thanks

Jessica Levin

Associate Producer

Marlene McCarty

Title Designer

James McMillan

Key Grip

James M. Cain Image

James M. Cain

Novel

Harvey Waldman

Unit Production Manager

Ilene Landress

Unit Production Manager

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